Knowing what to plant in a fall vegetable garden will open your eyes to a whole new world and extend your gardening season for many weeks or longer.

Cool-season seedlings are readily available at your local nursery when the time is right to plant your fall vegetable garden
While summer is typically considered the season for the classic vegetable garden, the cooler temperatures of fall find far fewer pest and disease populations to challenge plants (and gardeners). In addition, many edible varieties that would never grow happily in warmer times thrive in cooler and even cold weather of the fall vegetable garden.
If heat, humidity, gnats and bugs, along with constant watering and weeding are just not your thing, then fall gardening should be pure pleasure to those who are not fans of those ubiquitous conditions of summer gardening.
Most cool season crops will do fine even through frost and some freezing temperatures. But depending on what you grow and where you live, some level of protection may be necessary when temperatures drop below certain levels.
While all of the following plants can also be grown in late-winter or early-spring, the information below was written to specifically address planting options for late-summer to early-fall of the most popular cool-season edibles .
Best plants for a fall vegetable garden
Arugula: Grow arugula like lettuce. Seeds germinate in about 5-7 days, even in cold soil. This leafy green vegetable has a spicy kick that works great mixed in salads. The dark green leaves and interesting leaf margins add a nice ornamental appeal to your garden as well.
Beets: For a fall harvest, plant beets 10-12 weeks before first frost. Or look for seedlings already started for help with timing. Seeds germinate in about 5-days. Beets taste best if you harvest them before they get too large (2″-2.5″ is ideal).
Broccoli: Late summer or early September direct seeding is best for timing. Sowing early will allow plenty of time for broccoli to head up. Or go with transplants when available. If you don’t want them all ready at once, consider staggering your sowing times over a few weeks. Cut main head from the plant when crown is still rather tight. Leave remaining plant in the ground and you may get additional smaller side heads later. The sweetest broccoli you will ever eat comes from your own garden when kissed by frost.
Brussels sprouts: This is likely the hardiest plant in your edible garden. Seeds germinate best when soil temperatures are still warm (75-80 degrees) so direct sow seeds now as these plants are not fast growers. You can also buy seedlings if you’re getting a later start. Its taste is all the better when several frosts have visited your plants. Another great plant for adding vertical interest to a garden (so be sure to stake these plants).
Cabbage: Direct seed in late summer or early fall. Seeds germinate in about 6 days. The smaller the heading size, the faster till harvest. A plant that thrives in cool but not cold temperatures, there are many varieties available. Grow your own and experience the pleasure of what fresh sweet cabbage really tastes like. You don’t know until you experience the dramatic difference for yourself.
Carrots: Root crops are classic for cool season growing. Carrots seeds germinate in about 7 days but grow slowly. In fall, sow seeds no later than 10 weeks before the first frost for a fall harvest. The seeds are tiny. Sow as evenly as possible but expect to come back after germination to thin out crowed sprouts for proper spacing. The ferny tops are a delicate look that enhances the design of any winter garden.
Cauliflower: Similar to broccoli and cabbage but a bit more challenging.Look for young seedlings and set transplants into the garden in late summer or early fall. Mature heads are sensitive to frost so for fall crops sowing after mid-August may not allow ample time for full maturity depending on where you live. It’s well worth dedicating a bit of space to this for the chance of experiencing just how good it can be from your own garden. Even non-cauliflower lovers enjoy it fresh from the garden.
Chinese Cabbage: Asian cousins of our domestic cabbage, direct sow seeds into the garden about eight-weeks before the first frost. You can usually find seedlings at the garden center as well. Common varieties found include open forms Joi choi, Pak choi, and Bok choi. All are easy to grow and especially well-suited in stir fry dishes.
Garlic: Super easy to grow, sow cloves directly into the soil about 2-inches deep in mid-fall and enjoy the harvest next summer. If you like garlic, growing the varieties you love is always a plus and couldn’t be easier.
Kale, Collards and Mustard: Super foods that are winter hardy. A few plants will fill a garden bed quickly. Sow seeds in late summer or early fall. Or transplants when available. Also ornamental, these plants are great to cook up on a cold night or toss in a smoothie, especially kale.
Kohlrabi: Perhaps the strangest looking plant you’ll ever grow in your edible garden. Kohlrabi is fast-growing and a cousin of cabbage and broccoli. This is a great plant to direct sow in fall up to one month before the first frost. Harvest as needed. It’s winter hardy and will store in-ground until you’re ready to harvest. For extra protection from cold snaps, cover with a layer of straw.
Lettuce: Super easy to grow, sow seeds directly into beds or containers starting about 8 weeks before the first average frost date. Lightly cover with soil. Seeds germinate in about a week. For a faster start, use transplants. With so many varietal options, the ornamental qualities are superb as well. To extend the season, sow a new crop of lettuce seeds or transplants about every two-weeks for a succession of fresh lettuce all through the season.
Onions: Onions grow happily through winter, forming bulbs next spring for a summer harvest. Although not difficult to grow, there’s more to know about selecting the right kind of onions for your growing area (short-day or long-day), as well as seeds or sets. Do your homework before you make your purchase to ensure you are getting the most appropriate selections for your area.
Peas: Sow seeds in late summer to early fall. Seeds germinate in about 10-14 day (longer when soil temperatures are cooler). Peas are great for adding vertical interest. Just give them something to climb on. Shorter varieties are also available. Sugar snaps and snow peas are cool season varieties and like candy in the garden. Every cool-season garden should include peas.
Radishes: The fastest growing edible plant in your garden, they can be ready to harvest in less than 30 days from seed. Radishes thrive in the cool soil of fall. Keep in mind there are over 200 varieties. So if all you know are the small hot ones, give radishes another look for a fast-growing, tasty, storable crop that’s super easy to grow.
Spinach: Sow seeds in early fall. Seeds germinate in 3 -5 days and plants grow well through fall. Harvest from the outside to allow plants to keep growing from the center. Although winter hardy, cover with a light layer of straw for extra winter protection and enjoy harvesting into late next spring. What could be better than harvesting some fresh sweet leaves of spinach for a salad or side dish?
Swiss Chard: Perhaps the most beautiful and toughest plant for year-round interest. Sow seeds about 10 weeks before first expected frost. Or add transplants when available in spring or fall. Fairly cold tolerant. Even if foliage dies back in winter, new leaves commonly emerge in spring from the base. This is one tough and beautiful plant. Does well for an an edible ornamental element in beds or containers. Lots of varieties and great in stir-fry too.
Thanks Joe for the info on what to plant in a fall garden. I missed out planting my summer garden because I wasn’t home and when I did get back, my garden area was nothing but weeds. Now garden is clean and looking forward to planting some of my favorite things. I’m a big fan of salads so I can’t wait to see my garden come to life again.
Days to harvest are useful. In MD / DE spinach is seeded Aug 15 to Sept 5 for fall harvest and later plantings until Oct 5 will overwinter. Little green onions and spinach are edible size in <30 days with sunny days.
Absolutely Ed. On my next revision, I’m going to make sure all crops I’ve listed have days to harvest included in the information. Thanks for your comment.
I am organizing the Produce Section in our local FallFair. May I use your info re Veggies to plant this Fall? Folks will find it very useful. Thanks, Ida, Sooke, British Columbia
Hi Ida. I suspect my response is coming too late to help. But for what it’s worth, you are welcomed to use that information now or any time in the future. Thanks for asking!
Hi Joe;
I’m in zone 6a. Would the same plants listed above be still considered appropriate for my zone?
Thanks
Hi Michael. Sorry this is late. Yes, the list is written to help you back into the appropriate planting date by counting backwards from your first expected frost date of fall. However, in zone 6A, you’ll be getting there pretty soon. But quite a few of those plants on the list will germinate from seed now and still produce even after frost. Lettuce is a good example. It germinates quickly, grows fast, and is a lot tougher than it looks when it comes to winter hardiness. Another option is to plant seedlings that will give you a good head start over seeds. Just today I planted my whole garden in seedlings here in zone 7A. But given the choice, I would have preferred to start a little sooner.
I would love to see you plant whatever you’d like to grow Michael so that you can experience what grows into winter and what doesn’t. The best lessons are the ones we learn firsthand! Good luck.
Great newsletter, Joe. We planted just about everything on your fall list last weekend. The radishes, beets, Chinese cabbage, and carrots are sprouted along with some turnips (first time trying).
Awesome Bob! So glad to hear this. You’re ahead of me. Although I’m all planted out now. It’s so much fun to see your seeds germinate and then nurture them through the season. Congras and good luck.
Hello Joe,
Thanks for all the information for what to grow for a Fall garden.
I believe that the lists you gave are also relevant to Zone 8(8a) here in SC.
For Kathy up in Connecticut, I would like to suggest that she can use row covers/cloches and frost blankets to cover her garden vegetables and still have a productive garden. Just make sure the vegetable beds make use of maximum sunlight, as after the Fall Solstice, the days will become shorter, hence, less hours of daylight the plants will get. If it is late to start with seeds, use transplants/bedding plants to set out in dedicated beds.
I’m a fan of GAGW and am new to your newsletter. Is there a print version of your list in a printer friendly format so that I don’t use soooo much color ink to print it out. Love to put it in my seasonal gardening notebook for easy reference and notes.
Thanks so much
Hey Nicci. I just had your email newsletter preference changed over to “plain text”. So, when you get your newsletters from us from now on, they won’t have all the fancy pictures or headers. But they will contain all the important information. So you’ll be able to print without wasting a bunch of ink. Hope that helps. If you decide to go back to fancy later, just let us know. Thanks for subscribing and being a fan.
We really like your gardening information.
Gardening in Gilbert AZ starts in September. It was sure hot this summer. The temperature is still about 100 but is is time to plant most everything. The Amenian cucumbers, black-eyed peas, eggplant, chilies, and Swiss chard are still surviving. Last year we planted zucchini in August and had some until December.
Thanks!
You sure do have a very different gardening season Alan. We’re heading to Phoenix next week to do an episode on gardening in the desert SW. Very excited to finally film an episode on this topic. So many requests for this information.
Thank you Joe!
We have a large community garden and someone is always asking me what to plant in the cool season.
Great content Joe!!
Sept =fall for me too!!
-Tom
Hi Joe,
Thanks for this post and the link to the planting trees and shrubs.
My Question is about what zone are you writing for? I live in Connecticut and my planting date of 10 weeks before the last frost is more like the end of July or early August. It would be really helpful to specify your zone or add dates for other areas of the country.
Thank you! I enjoy your shows and podcasts very much. And these posts are priceless!
Kathy
Thanks Kathy! I am in zone 7B (north GA, Atlanta area). Hopefully you can find seedlings to plant vs. seeds for a fall garden this year. At least that will buy you some time hopefully. And thanks for the kind words on the podcasts and shows too. New podcasts are coming weekly starting in mid-November. And 13 new shows begin airing mid-April, 2017.
I caught the tail end of your July 9th show about. Composting and worms. I didn’t know I was killing them by leaving the containers in the hot sun. I really do appreciate that information. Thanks again for all tips and keep it up. Ann padgett. Lynchburg , va.